I am curious to know if anyone has heard of any facts/myths regarding acne and treating it. This can include false products on the market, or products which actually do the trick (This thread might be in the wrong section?)

Tip and Myth: So far I've found the more hydrated the better (so moisturising frequently). The moment I stopped thinking 'moisturiser will clog up my skin!' i saw a significant improvement. It's easy to think if you continuously dry it out and close up the pores it'll help but in reality the skin will become broken up like a dried out river bed and will get red and sore.

Tip: Making sure to change the bed sheets once a week helps to keep new spots at bay.

Product Tips:
A product I've found helpful is using Cocoa Butter based moisturiser.
Natural anti-bacterial/antiseptic oils like Tea Tree based cleansers/etc. are useful.
Using products which are alcohol free is also recommended.
Biotherm do some incredible stuff, particularly the cleansing foam.
I'm experimenting with Dead Sea Mineral based products at the moment, and seem to be doing the job.

Question: Has anyone had much success with chemical based/manmade products?

I think you have answered your own question!

A tip is to eat things lesser in salts and sugar midway your cycle. Another is to wash up as soon as getting home and clean face first before putting on another layer of make up. Don't pile up just because you are in a hurry.

This is the thread I started about my acne on a different forum along with some of the answer's I'd gotten:

Women: Runner's World Forums

If it doesn't go straight to it in the women's section of the site go to search and look up *Running, Sweat, & Acne*

Alot of the answer's I got were things I'd tried throughout my life.

I still have an appointment to go see another Dermatologist it is a loooong wait.

Now since everyone is very different, it really all depends what will work, what may have worked, what our hormones were going through at the time..ect. ect.

I cannot moisturize my face, and believe me it wasn't a day or two thing that I'd tried. It was always a good few months. Just made it worse for me. I have heard it working well for others though. So if that is the answer for you, Great!

Some of the products you've listed were also suggested on that thread too.

What I REALLY found to work out for me, was drinking LOADS of water, although difficult at times, at 2- 2.5 ( and less than this didn't work as well with my acne) Liters of water a day, I was still heavily bloated from all the water, but at 3-4 Liters of water a day, I pee'd soo much I lost a lot of bloating. My hair and nails started growing quite fast, and it really helped with the weight loss too. But still very difficult to drink that much for me & get in all my cals. Plus with a weak bladder, it can be tricky. LOL

My skin started to glow on the outside, and heal quite well. Even though I still have *Acne* a lot of it has really cleared away.

heya Nutriangel, it's for everyone to note useful things down in one place, though the forum link posted will do, too!

drinking water.. that makes sense

I am past heavy amounts of acne, but still deal with some sort of rosacea or eczema. Nasty blotches and blemishes, and I have tried a lot. Even a year into a totally clean diet with lots of water and exercise I was breaking out. Changed bedclothes and even beds and where I was living several times. Changed detergents and soaps and etec. God, the number of skin products I have tried. Every astringent or scrub or gentle soap you can imagine.

Went to 2 or 3 derms as well. Horse pills, pills at $2 each 3x a day (and that's WITH insurance), retinoids, and even a laser treatment. Two things worked for me. Moisturizer. I had tried before, but never for more than a week or so and always when I started to show signs of a breakout-which was irritated by teh moisturizer. This time, I tried putting it on daily when I wasn't showing. So far, so good. I will discontinue if I breakout again. Also, and this is kinda radical but appears to be working so far (4+ months now): I quit using any soap on my face at all. I irrigate it faithfully with loads of warm water and pat it dry, end of story.

Of course, YMMV, although I know I am not the only one gettign good results by not soaping their trouble areas.

ACNE is a really touchy topic for me. About a year ago I had HORRIBLE ACNE ...like SERIOUSLY HORRIBLE!!!

I used to be a dancer before I started college, I was thin and I've loved dressing up .... anyway last year before my exams [I go to med school, EXAMS ARE LIKE NIGHTMARE]....I started having HORRIBLE acne. MY great skin was something I used to be really proud of ..... I never wore makeup... {just eye stuff I wore}...and the thought of buying a concealer to hide my pimples....was plain depressing. And because I was so depressed bcoz of my skin...I STOPPED GOING OUT, I PUT RIDDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON MAKEUP THAT HIDE MY ACNE, I SPENT SO MUCH MONEY ON BUYING PRODUCTS FOR ACNE, I WENT ON THE PILL [contributed to my weight gain], AND I WAS DEPRESSED---> Thus I ATE LIKE A PIG!... However, a year later...I had great skin again.

However, the weight stayed.


Anyways like someone mentioned above...DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Hydration is the key, does not matter if you have oily or dry complexion...

AND SEE A DERMATOLOGIST....stop wasting ure time online reading about acne or listen to others...because everyones skin is different. And the cause of acne for everyone is different too. It might not go away right then and there, but it eventually WILL! Trust me.....

I thought my skin cud never be like it was before...but guess what? IT IS!! I have now stopped wearing foundation/concealer ...because all that does is clog ure pores (EVEN IF YOU ARE SUPER CAREFUL TO WASH AND CLEANSE URE FACE)...makeup is never good news. I mean wear makeup when you are clubbing or at a party...but dont wear makeup everyday. It will only aggravate your acne.. avoid touching your face at all costs. Thats also bad news.

My dermatologist told me to lay off milk products, but I dont know if that is backed up by solid evidance...and also I've been told to lay off soda. I didnt follow either, but I cleared up anyways...honeestly my dermatologist as well as time changed everything for me.... I'm confident about my face again (not happy with the weight gain though) but I can proudly go out and not wear makeup or worry about my face not looking good...or weather I have to put some more concealer!....

Also make sure you are eating fibre and have a proper bowel system, because you are what you eat after all. Be it in terms of weight or skin (not entirely but still)...ure acne cud be hormnal, stress induced or anything else atall!! There is no way you or I cud know, your doctor however might have an answer.

I swear my acne experiance was the worst year of MY LIFE! I hated being me, I hated waking up and looking at the mirror....I loathed my self so I ate....I ate so much...because thats all I cud do since I dont want to do anything else. My friends and boyfriend got very worried, but yet I came out of it. ACNE is NOT the worst thing in the world, and it was very stupid how I over reacted. Yet now I know that proper diet, nutrition and hydration is important to ACNE, YET TIME IS WHAT CURES IT. When I graduate from med school, I hope to persue a career in DERMATOLOGY. I find it sooo fascinating. BEcause I think SKIN is soo important.


It matters.